Circuit breaker



y 1953 5. J. STONE 2,639,391

' CIRCUIT BREAKER Filed Feb. 8, 1950 TO VOL TAGEPEGZ/LATOR 1.

I l J l8 TD GENERATOR FIELD zl" Q I E l' I 1 l1 I I 6 J" U"!!! I",

/9 T0 BATTERY 2/ 20 23 6 Your arauam LIGHT,

ETC.

INVENTOR 9 swam ATTORNEYS Figure 1 is a top view of the circuit-breaker housing assembly shown mounted to the auto frame;

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation of the circuit-breaker housing assembly constructed in accordance with the teachings of thi invention;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary side View partially cut away, of the circuit breaker shown in opencircuit position by the solid lines and in closedcircuit position by the dotted lines;

Figure 4 is a view of Figure 3 along the line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a view of Figure 3 along the line 55 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic representation of the electrical circuit involved in this invention.

Referring now to Figure 1, the circuit breaker is enclosed in a suitable housing H). The housing as shown in this figure and in subsequent figures includes a main case l which is a formed metal part and end covers. l2 and I3, the entire housing being, in turn, welded or riveted to a metal frame M. The metal frame I4 is, in turn. mounted by any suitable means such as bolt '15 to the auto frame l6.

The circuit breaker which is housed within the housing G is constructed so as to connect or disconnect simultaneously the battery from ground and to connect or disconnect simultaneously the electrical circuit running from the generator field windings to the voltage regulator. This latter provision is for the purpose of disrupting the field current supply.

' The generator which is in most cases shunt wound has in its field winding circuit, the circuit breaker and a voltage regulator, both connected in series. When this circuit is broken. the field windings are ole-energized and the generator ceases to function.

In Figure 1 is shown the lead from the battery which is usually a flexible, laminated conductor indicated here by numeral IT. The ground circuit to the battery is completed through the circuit breaker within the housing In to the flexible. laminated conductor It) held in place against the metal frame I4 which is grounded to the auto frame by the bolt I5.

As shown in Figure 2, the circuit breaker within the housing ID is actuated by a lever arm l9 which is pivoted at the lower end of the housing Ill. To the top of the lever arm I 9 is mounted, by any suitable means, a flexible wire 2|! which ex tends through a flexible conduit 2| to'the circuit breaker operating sub-assembly, not shown, which is mounted in the operators compartment of the car, usually located on the dashboard for easy access by the operator. The flexible conduit supporting the flexible conductor is mounted to the metal frame M by any suitable means such as the supporting member |5a and the bolt 15. The operating sub-assembly is not per se apart of this invention. It has been completely described by this inventor in his copending application, Serial No. 97,475, filed June 6, 1949, now Patent No. 2,529,195.

In Figure 2 the lever arm I!) is in a vertical position and the circuit breaker is in circuitopen position. The lever arm is pivoted. at the :lower end of the housing to an operating cam.

2'2 and bolted thereto by'the bolt and nut arrangement 23. Theaction .of the lever arm and the cam to operate the circuit breaker is shown in Figure 3! As shown in Figure 3 by'solid lines, when the circuit breaker is in circuit-open position with the lever in vertical position as shown in Figure 2, the operatin cam 22, which extends through the housing It! and has a smaller portion on one end adapted to extend through the opening 24 in the housing acts against the spring 25 mounted between the housing main frame and the said switch by any suitable means, to open the battery ground circuit.

The ground circuit to the battery is made through the flexible laminated conductor H, the bolt 2'! which in conjunction with the nut 28 secures the conductor I! to the main case M, the switch point 30 of the switch arm 3|, the flexible, laminated conductor l8 mounted to the arm 3| by screw member 32, the metal frame l4 and auto frame I6. The bolt 2! is insulated from the housing by strips of insulating material 26 and 29.

As has been mentioned previously, in Figure 3 the solid line position of the circuit breaker is representative of the breaker in circuit-open position. The cam 22 is in a vertical position by virtue of the attitude of the lever arm I2 attached thereto, and the switch arm 3| is thereby forced against the spring 25 to remove the contact point 30 from engagement with the bolt 21. The switch arm 3| is pivotally mounted to the housing by any suitable means such as the arouate pivot member 34 mounted for peripheral movement within the opening 35 in the housing main case The open-circuit position of the circuit breaker is rigidly maintained by the action of the operating sub-assembly located in the operating compartment. When the operating sub-assembly-is released, the flexible conductor 20 releases the tension on the lever l9 and forces the cam 22 into the dotted line-position as shown in Figure a. This allows the spring 25 to force the switch arm 3| to a position shown in dotted lines in this figure where the switch point 30 contacts the bolt 2'! thus grounding the battery.

As shown in Figure 4, the operation of the flexible conductor 20 in cooperation with the operating sub-assembly and the lever arm I!) also holds in circuit-open position the circuit be tween the generator field and the voltage regulator. As was shown in Figure 1 the generator field is connected to the circuit breaker through the conductor 36 and mounted to the metal contact piece 37 extending out of the housing l0 and insulated therefrom by insulating material 38. The circuit from this metal strip 31 to the voltage regulator is made through the circuit breaker. 4

' Referring again to Figure 4, the metal. contact piece 3'! which is insulated from the housing by the insulating strips 29 and 38 has a contact point 39 which through the spring bias contact point 40 mounted to but insulated from switch arm IE to hold the cam 22 in vertical position and to force the contact arm am against the action of the-spring 43.

When the switch is in the circuit-closed posi tion, the cam 22 is forced into a position offset from the vertical as shown in the dotted lines in Figure 3 by the action of the flexible conductor assassin 3km! thebattery circuit and the switch arm 3| a for the generator field and voltage regulator circuit :are "both mounted .to .the .arcuate pivot member all and are spaced from one another. The laminated fieirib'le hdu'ctor "It" which is mounted to the switch arias; is held implace t me s 'w 32, which also holds the spring zs inffrictio a1 engagementwith this switcherm 'mblyi 'The spring 43 is mounted to the switch I, 3jl'q. by any-suitable meanssuch as screw 45. "Ioflslur'rizfiarize the operation" of the" circuit breaker, the circuit breaker is normally held thfac'tion of the springs 25 and t3 in cirfcuit- -closed' position, as" shown in Figure :SYby ted' line. In this position the ground c'n suit" of the battery is madethrough the laminated flexible conductor gt] through the bolt 21, the contact point 30, the inated flexible cong cttrda, ,the metal "frame" and the auto trame 16'. The closed circuit between the generator held and the' voltage regulator in this position is made through the metal strip 31, the contact point 39, the contact point 40 mounted on the switch arm 31a, the L-shaped metal bar 4| and the metal strip 42. In this position the lever arm 19 is released by the operating subassembly into a position reclined from the vertical, and the cam 22 is therefore also in a position reclined from the vertical.

When the operator wishes to open the battery circuit and the circuit between the generator field and the voltage regulator, the operating sub-assembly in the operator compartment is actuated to force the lever arm It to a vertical position as shown in Figure 2 in solid lines and the cam 22 forces the switch arms 3i and 31a to open both circuits, pivoting both of these switch arms on the arcuate pivot member 34 to which they are mounted. The switch point 30 is then out of contact with the bolt 27. The

switch point 39 is out of contact with the switch point 40. The battery circuit to ground is open and the circuit between the generator field and i the voltage regulator is open. The circuit breaker is held in this position by the operating subassembly.

What has been described is a specific embodiment of this invention but also within its spirit are all those embodiments obvious to one skilled in the art.

The switch as heretofore described operates with an operating assembly of the type disclosed in this inventors copending application Serial No. 97,475, filed June 6, 1949. However, it should be noted that due to the peculiar details of the operating cam 22, no particular locking means is required in the said operating assembly. The cam 22 is, as shown in Figure 3, knife-edged. The fiat portion or base when resting totally on the bottom of the housing, and in this attitude receiving the inclined switch arm 3| on the knifeedge side, is locked thereby in position. When the cam is pivoted from this position as shown in dotted lines in Figure 3, the springs 25 and 43 hold the arm 3| in this position. It is evident, therefore, that the switch assembly may operate posture retention losedj io'sition."

llApparatu's' for controlling .an vautomotive electrical circuit iincludirig a battery and a genie'r'" I, having field windings therefor comprising eljisingle-tlirow double pole switch, aground line froni''said battery passing Lt'hrough'bne of the poles of 'said switcn'ltheifield windings of said generatorconnecting-through the other pole of said switch, means to .Inormall'y bias both poles of said switch in ciifcuit clo'slng position, means .to oyei'come'isaid bias to simultaneously place both poles of said switch .in circuit-opening position. 'izl'Apparatus for cbi'itro'lling- .an' automotive ele c alcircuitincluding' ,a battery and a gene'ator having field' winding therefor comprising single? row double pole switch, .a ground line from lsald battejry passing through one of '.-the poles or said switch," the-field windings of said geheratorbonnecting through the other pole ofsaid switch, means to normally biasbothipoles cff'sja'id' 'switch' in e'ircuit-closing position, means texsVeTCeme-saia bias to .simultaneouslylplaceboth pole'so f said switch in circuit-.openingiposition, operating meansto r igidlyiholdthe poles of said switch i'n" jcircuitopening position.

3. Apparatus ior controlling .an automotive circuit including abatterliy and va generator having'neld windings therefor comprising a ground line from said battery passing through one of the poles of said switch, the field windings of the generator connecting through the other pole of said switch, a spring mounted to each of the poles of said switch to normally bias said switch in circuit-closing position, means to overcome said bias to simultaneously place both poles of said switch in circuit-closing position.

4. Apparatus for controlling an automotive circuit including a battery and a generator having field windings therefor comprising a singlethrow double pole switch, a ground line from said battery passing through one of the poles of said switch, the field windings for the generator connecting through the other pole of said switch, means to normally bias both poles of said switch in circuit-closing position, a cam mounted to cause the poles of said switch to overcome said bias and simultaneously to place the poles of said switch in circuit-opening position, a lever arm connected to said cam and means to operate said lever arm.

5. Apparatus for controlling an automotive circuit including a battery and a generator having field windings therefor comprising a singlethrow double pole switch, a ground line from said battery passing through one of the poles of said switch, the field windings for the generator connecting through the other pole of said switch, means to normally bias both poles of said switch in circuit-closing position, a cam mounted to cause the poles of said switch to overcome said bias and simultaneously to place the poles of said switch in circuit-opening position, a lever arm connected to said cam, means to operate said lever arm, and operating means to rigidly hold said switch in circuit-opening position.

6. Apparatus for controlling an automotive circuit including a battery and a generator having field windings therefor comprising a singlethrow double pole switch, said poles being mounted in spaced relation at their ends to an arcuate pivot member, a ground line from said battery passing through one of the poles of said switch, the field windings of the generator connecting through the other pole 01' said switch, means to normally bias both poles of said switch in circuit-closing position, means to pivot said poles about said arcuate pivot member to overcome the said bias and to simultaneously place both poles of said switch in circuit-opening poistion.

7. Apparatus for controlling an automotive circuit including a battery and a generator having field windings therefor comprising a singlethrow double pole switch, said poles being mounted in spaced relation at their ends to an arcuate pivot member, a ground line from said battery passing through one of the poles of said switch, the field windings of the generator connecting through the other pole of said switch, means to normally bias both poles of said switch in circuit-closing position, a cam mounted to cause the poles of said switch to pivot about the said arcuate pivot member to overcome said bias and to simultaneously place the poles of said switch in circuit-opening position," a lever arm connected to said cam, and means to operate said lever arm.

8. Apparatus for controlling an automotive circuit including a battery and a generator having field windings therefor comprising a singlethrow double pole switch, said poles being mounted in spacedrelation at their ends to an arcuate pivot member, a ground line from said battery passing through one of the poles of said switch, the field windings of the generator connecting thorugh the other pole of said switch, means to normally bias both poles of said switch in circuit-closing position, a. cam mounted to cause the poles of said switch to pivot about the said a-rcuate pivot member to overcome said bias and to simultaneously place the poles of said switch in circuit-opening position, a lever arm connected to said cam, means to operate said lever arm and operating means to rigidly hold said switch in circuit-opening position.

SINK J. STONE,

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,270,994 Wallup July 2, 1918 1,473,586 Patterson Nov; 6, 1923 1,512,105 Knapp Oct. 21, 1924 1,512,244 Simmons et al. Oct. 21, 1924 1,819,831 Whalen Aug. 18, 1931 1,966,077 Nyman July 10, 1934 2,096,291 Tanner Oct. 19, 1937 2,277,671 Williams et al. Mar. 31, 1942 2,439,634 Robey Apr. '13, 1948 2,503,862 Aligeyer Apr; 11, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS I Number Country Date 573,402 France Mar. 10, 1924 526,752 Great Britain Sept. 25, 1940 

